Freshman Romance
by CelestialKisses
Summary: Usagi, somehow finding her way into a top university, knows her college experiences are going to be awesome.    Will the cute, but somewhat arrogant, boy, Mamoru, from down the hall make or break her freshman year?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer! I do not own any of the characters. They are the creation and property of Naoko Takeuchi.

Freshman Romance

_Usagi, somehow finding her way into a top university, knows her college experiences are going to be awesome. She has the best roommate and best friend a girl could ask for, a cool dorm room, and a somewhat interesting (and pretty easy) major. Will the cute, but somewhat arrogant, boy, Mamoru, from down the hall make or break her freshman year?_

Chapter 1: Move-In Day

Usagi set down the box she had carried up the stairs and wiped the sweat from her brow. _Why in the world does it need to be so darn hot on move-in day?_ The petite blonde looked around her new dorm room. She smiled at how just a few boxes sitting around the room made it feel like it was hers already. Well, hers and her roommate's, but even then, her roommate was her best friend of all time whose things were already too familiar to Usagi.

"Taking a break now are we, lazy bones?" Minako asked Usagi, who seemed to be in her typical daydreaming state.

Usagi smirked and smartly replied "Just a little one. It's so hot! How can anyone want to do work?"

"Just think of how sweet this place is going to look once we've got the car unpacked though! We have the coolest Three Lights posters and adorable pink curtains! All the other girls on this floor are going to be so jealous."

Usagi laughed lightly and with a sarcastic sigh said, "Okay, okay, I guess I'll help," as she began to trot after Minako down the hall.

Typical of Usagi, her feet moved a little too fast for the rest of her body and she went crashing down into someone. _Oh great, I was hoping to make a good impression here. _ Usagi stood up and looked down at her collision victim, offering a hand to help him up.

"I'm so sorry about that! I tend to klutz out."

"I'd say so. I'll be sure to stay out of your way," said the victim. He stood to his full height, and Usagi felt herself craning her neck up to look at him. She guessed he had to be at least a foot taller than her. He looked back down at her, causing her heart to skip a beat. The boy, rather, the young man, had beautiful, deep blue eyes and luscious black hair that casually fell into his face. Usagi blushed crimson and apologized again before scooting around him and rushing down the stairs.

"And I think that's it," Minako proudly announced as she taped the last of the girls' Three Lights posters to the wall. Usagi flopped on her bed, causing many of her stuffed bunnies to fall over, with a sigh of relief. It felt so good in the room now that the window was cracked open and the sun began to set. She slowly brought herself back to a sitting position and asked, "Now what?"

Minako looked at her, sitting on her own bed adorned with a variety of stuffed animals. "Hmm, we could make some popcorn and pop in a movie."

Usagi thought about this proposal, and then shook her head. Minako looked at her, scrunching up her face in thought. "Oh! I got it! How about we go around the hall and meet our floor?"

Usagi thought about this one too. She did want to meet new people. Not that she didn't like Minako, but she loved to make new friends. And she really wanted to check out all of the cute boys on their co-ed floor. Well, other than the jerk from earlier. "Okay! I'm down for that."

"Great!" Minako exclaimed and she slipped on her slippers and dashed out the door. By the time Usagi hopped off her bed, she already heard Minako chatting in the hallway with some of the males on the floor. Usagi smiled to herself and put on her own slippers before leaving the room to join her bubbly roommate.

As soon as Usagi had followed her roommate's voice, her heart sank. _How in the world did she manage to find the one person I didn't want to see so soon?_ Usagi straightened up and walked confidently up to the group composed of the jerk, his roommate, and Minako. Minako turned and smiled brightly at Usagi, "Oh hey Usagi! Okay, so here are two of our floormates! This is Motoki," Minako said gesturing to the jerk's roommate, who had pretty green eyes and dirty blonde hair, "and this is Mamoru," she announced as she faced the dark haired young man Usagi had accidently tackled. _What a name for the jerk. _

"Hello! Nice to meet you both!" Usagi said before adding, "Officially, that is."

Mamoru quickly respond, "Same to you," with a small, sideways smirk.

Usagi listened as Minako continued to chatter with the pair, finding little room to get her own words in. Eventually, all four decided it was way late and time to go to their respective rooms.

On the way back to the girls' room, Minako whispered to Usagi, "What was up with the 'officially' comment? Did you klutz out on those two already?"

Usagi scowled at her best friend, "Only the tall one. Mamoru, or whatever his name was."

Minako laughed, "Way to go, Usagi! That's too bad. He was a cutie. I could have totally seen you two getting together before you said that."

Usagi rolled her eyes, "Hey, just because I klutzed on him doesn't mean I don't have any shot with the guy."

"Oh, so were you interested in him before him? Did his dreamy looks just knock you off your feet?" Minako teased as she batted her eyelashes at Usagi.

Usagi playfully punched Minako in the arm, "Oh, stop it! I mean, he is a cutie, but we're in college! There are plenty of boys out there!"

Minako giggled and shook her head as the girls re-entered their room and got ready for bed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: First Day

Usagi stretched and rolled over in bed, snuggling in the comforters. She looked sleepily at the alarm clock, then shot up straight and jumped out of bed. "Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! Aghh!" Usagi shouted as she pulled on jeans and sneakers, grabbed her backpack, and bolted out the door to her room, running down the hall. _Oh! Didn't I learn my lesson? How did I manage to sleep through my alarm and be late for my first class of college! _Usagi was relentless in her dash to class, nearly knocking over an elderly professor and a fellow freshman staring at the school's map. Eventually, she saw the building she needed and slammed the brakes.

Catching her breath, Usagi walked calmly into the lecture hall. It was packed! She searched for an empty seat and upon spotting one, grabbed it, even though it was in the second row. _After that entrance, maybe sitting up close will set a good example._ Taking her notebook out of her bag, she started scribbling notes about the syllabus and test dates. "You know the syllabus is online, right?" she heard a surprisingly familiar voice ask her.

Turning her head slowly, Usagi saw Mamoru sitting in the seat to her right. Staring at him in disbelief, she couldn't help but shout, "Aren't you a little old to be in an intro class?"

Mamoru, closing his eyes and sighing replied, "Calm down. It's a gen ed. And it applies to my major, in case you were wondering."

"Humph." Usagi huffed as she turned her body away from the jerk and towards the professor.

"And, since this class is so full, I will have you all fill out this seating chart. Wherever you are seated today will be your seat for the remainder of the semester," the old professor stated as he handed a sheet of paper to a girl in the first row.

_Great, just great. Now I have to sit next to him every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning, _Usagi thought grimly as the sheet made its way to her row.

By the end of the afternoon, Usagi's day was going much better than it started. Other than her dismal first class, her other two classes were intriguing and in much smaller classrooms. And there was no Mamoru to contend with. She even had her last class of the day, Math 101, with Minako. The girls walked back to their room together, giggling over the professor's bad mustache. As Usagi unlocked the door, she heard Minako brightly ask someone down the hall, "Hey, Usagi and I were just about to grab dinner. Do you guys want to come along?"

"Sure! We were just about to head out too." Usagi turned to see Motoki smiling brightly at Minako, Mamoru standing right behind him wearing a scowl. Minako threw her things down and called to Usagi as she dashed down the hall, "Well, come on! We're hungry!"

Usagi threw her bag down, locked the door, and jogged to catch up to the trio already halfway down the hall. Minako had decided to walk next to Motoki, chatting up a storm, leaving Usagi moping beside Mamoru. By the time the quartet had reached the dining hall, Usagi was ready to eat cereal in her room rather than stick with the group. But, she knew Minako would be furious if Usagi didn't even try to be friendly to Mamoru, so she glumly took her seat at the table Minako had picked out.

As Minako and Motoki continued to talk and flirt, Usagi stirred her rice around her plate and saw Mamoru doing a similar thing with his. She put her chopsticks down and looked up at him. He also stopped and looked up at her. When their eyes met, Usagi felt her heart not only skip a beat, but also seem to do a face plant of its own in her chest. His eyes were so beautiful. His whole face was nothing short of perfect with its even skin tone and thin, yet soft looking lips. _I wonder if he's a good kisser. Wait, what am I thinking! This guy is a jerk! Why would I have any desire to kiss him!_ Regardless, Usagi blushed and started pushing cauliflower towards her rice, not really interested in eating either of the two items. Mamoru had moved on from their brief moment and had joined into Motoki and Minako's conversation.

As Usagi brushed out her long hair, she saw Minako sitting perfectly still, as if she was in a trance. Usagi cocked her head and walked toward her roommate and waved a hand in front of Minako's face. The blonde snapped up and looked at Usagi.

"You feeling okay?" Usagi asked, seriously concerned with her roommate's bizarre behavior.

"I just wish you and Mamoru would start talking." Minako looked up, false tears in her eyes, "You would be soo cute!"

Usagi rolled her eyes and sat next to her friend. There was a reason she was known as the goddess of love. "Look, I know you want us to get together, but it's not going to happen. We're too different. We didn't even say a word to each other as you and Motoki chatted away."

"But, there is chemistry. I saw the way you looked at him."

Usagi blushed again, "Well, I'm not saying the boy isn't cute."

"Okay. I'll make you a deal. Motoki and I are going to a party this weekend. You and Mamoru should come along."'

Usagi glared at her roommate, "Why, so I can make sure your drunk ass gets into bed?"

Both girls broke into a fit of hysteria. "Well, that's why I'm bringing Motoki, actually. I want you to have a good time and give Mamoru a chance!" Minako exclaimed, jumping to her feet and grabbing Usagi's hands. "Trust me, I can sense when things are going to work out."

Usagi shook her head, "You are absolutely crazy. And I think you need sleep."

Usagi stood slowly and crawled into her bed. "You can turn the light off."

"Fine. But, only if you promise to give Mamoru a chance."

"Sure, sure," Usagi yawned as she rolled away from Minako.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3: Weekend!

Usagi tugged at the white miniskirt she was borrowing from Minako. _I really can't let college let me gain the Freshman 15. It's only been a week and this is already looking bad. _ Usagi turned to look at her side-view in the mirror. With a glittery pink halter top and matching sandals (to minimize the risk of a klutz attack), Usagi was pleased with her outfit and moved over to her dresser to let Minako do her makeup. Minako had already put on a zebra print top that hugged her cute figure, a dark denim mini skirt, and bright red heels. With smokey eyes and her hair perfectly straight, she looked ready to seduce any boy at the university. Usagi grew more and more nervous as Minako loaded makeup brushes up with pink and purple. "Okay, I think you're set," Minako beamed as she handed Usagi a large mirror. Usagi blinked once she looked at her reflection. She was shocked at how. . . hot she looked.

"Mamoru won't be able to resist you now!" Minako exclaimed, jumping up and clasping her hands together.

"Hey, watch it before I make your eyes black for more than just tonight," Usagi warned with a grin.

Switching on her iPod, Minako started dancing around the room, taking swigs out of her water bottle filled with tequila as Usagi timidly sipped out her hard pink lemonade. Once the two were feeling a bit buzzed, Minako refilled her bottle, grabbed Usagi's hand, and led them out the door to meet up with the boys.

After a 30 minute walk, Minako finally proclaimed, "Here we are!" as she attempted to jog towards the door of the party house, dragging Motoki with her. Usagi carefully followed her, about 5 feet behind when she felt a hand wrap around her wrist. She turned quickly to see Mamoru looking nervous.

"What's your problem?" She snapped, wanting to have a good time and not deal with this jerk.

"You need to be careful. This isn't a good place for girls to be wandering around alone."

Usagi relaxed her harsh expression. Her pre-game buzz had worn off and, realizing she had nothing else to drink, took in her surroundings. She noticed girls being surrounded by numerous guys, all holding solo cups sloshing with beer. She tried finding Minako, but to no avail.

"Should we find Minako? I don't want her getting hurt," Usagi asked.

"She'll be fine. Motoki will take care of her, I'm sure."

Usagi nodded. "Can you walk back with me?"

"Well, I certainly wouldn't have you go home alone. Let's go."

Mamoru gripped Usagi's hand with his own and led her out of the crowd. She felt her cheeks grow hot, especially as other boys loitering about wolf-whistled at her.

Once the pair was on the main road, Mamoru released Usagi's hand, but asked her to walk beside him. She looked over at him, his face set in an emotionless glaze. "Thank you for getting me out of there," Usagi said timidly, blushing as the two continued to walk home.

"Nothing to thank me for. I hate that place. It's a trap to get innocent girls like you and Minako in bed."

"Oh, like you really care about who I get into bed with," Usagi spat.

"Hey!" Mamoru stopped. "Wait a second. Just because I'm not buddy-buddy with you doesn't mean I'm not concerned for your safety."

"Then why didn't you push for Minako to come with us?"

"She is with a guy. And I know Motoki won't let anything happen to her. He's head over heels for her."

"Oh," Usagi muttered, feeling defeated. And suddenly very tired.

Upon arriving at their hall, Mamoru escorted Usagi to her door. When she tried to open the door, it refused to budge. She then heard familiar giggles and a young man's voice coming from the other side. Too tired to even think of how Minako managed to beat her home, Usagi sighed and sat next to the door.

Mamoru, with a chuckle, said, "Oh boy. How did those two beat us home?" He turned towards his room. "C'mon. No use trying to get in there."

Usagi, not fully capable of comprehending his words or was going on said, "Well, what am I supposed to do?"

"Just come with me," Mamoru replied, leading Usagi to his room. _Oh no! He wants me to sleep with him, _Usagi panicked.

"I'll just sleep in the hall," she replied, now sitting on the floor next to his door.

Mamoru looked at her. "Don't be silly." Once he realized what she was thinking, he added, "I don't want to sleep with you. I just want you to have somewhere to sleep."

Usagi nodded and followed Mamoru into his room. It was obvious that his side of the room was the one with a made bed and crisp sheets while Motoki's bed was a heap of wrinkled sheets and clothes. Mamoru pulled an extra set of sheets identical to the ones on his bed and replaced his old sheets with the new clean ones. Usagi watched as he then tore everything off Motoki's bed, folded it up, and made a neat stack next to the bed. Mamoru then put the sheets that had been on his bed onto Motoki's now bare bed.

Facing Usagi and giving her a once over, Mamrou asked, "Do you want something more comfortable to sleep in?"

Usagi blushed and shyly nodded. Mamoru turned to his dresser, pulling out blue cotton shorts and a plain white shirt, then put the shirt back and selected a black one. Usagi smiled at his thoughtfulness as he put the clothes on the bed for her. "I'll go wash up and let you get changed," he said, taking his own pajamas and toiletries to the bathroom.

Usagi carefully peeled off her shirt and skirt, folding them neatly, before slipping on Mamoru's clothes. She inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh, clean sent of the fabric. Sitting on his bed, she combed her hair out with her fingers. Remembering her colorful face, Usagi stood to go wash her makeup off. As she opened the door, she found her face even with Mamoru's chest. She stepped back too fast and fell onto her rear. Mamoru, quickly kneeling to her side, helped her sit up.

"You okay?" he asked.

She nodded, "Hey, why have you been so nice to me tonight?"

He smiled, deciding to sit next to her on the floor. "You really want to know?"

"Well, yeah. You've been indifferent towards me all week and tonight you've been acting like it's your job to watch over me."

"Even since that first day you crashed into me I've wanted to talk to you. I'm just not good at communicating that."

"No kidding . . ."

He laughed, "I was always so worried about making good marks in school and having to pay the bills I never had time for girls."

Usagi furrowed her brow, "Why were you having to pay the bills?" She drew a quick breath, "I'm sorry! That is really none of my business."

Mamoru shrugged, "It's no big deal. My parents died when I was a little kid, so as soon as I could get out of the orphanage, I've been living on my own."

"Wow. That's rough."

"It's okay. I believe that everything happens for a reason. I never worried about having a girlfriend or anything like that because for one, it wasn't the top of my priorities and wouldn't have had time for a relationship. Plus, now, I do have the time since although I still have to make sure I keep up my grades for my scholarship, I don't have bills or anything like that. I now have the time for a relationship, once I meet the right girl." He blushed and bowed his head, "And I just may have done that."

He looked at Usagi, who picked her own head up to meet his gaze. His sharp blue eyes seemed so much softer now and Usagi felt her cheeks, for the countless time this evening, get red hot. Carefully, Mamoru picked his hand up and placed it tenderly under her jaw. She closed her eyes and leaned towards him. _Wait, is this really happening?_ She thought as she felt his lips touch hers ever so gently. _What do I care? This is . . . the best feeling._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Fall and falling

Usagi inhaled deeply as she briskly walked across campus, eager to meet Mamoru for their evening out. It was a perfect, and pleasantly warm, October evening and marked the couple's two-month anniversary. While it wasn't a huge milestone, Usagi and Mamoru wanted to enjoy every one they could find and savor it. Every moment they spent together was precious. For the first time in her schooling career, Usagi was motivated to study, even if it was because Mamoru refused to speak to her until her homework was finished. And even if it took her all night, she would knock on his door as soon as it was finished just to say hello and get a kiss. For this night's event, she made sure to do her work early so she had no worries after her final class.

As she finally reached her building, she ran up the stairs as fast as she could, bursting into her door and dropping everything before giving herself a once over in the mirror. Figuring it'd probably cool down, Usagi took her sweater with her as she dashed out of the room saying, "Hi. Bye!" to Minako as she left.

She took a deep breath as she knocked on Mamoru's door. Despite all the time they spent together, she still got butterflies whenever she saw him. Mamoru opened the door and a smile quickly spread across Usagi's face as she put herself in his open arms. Kissing the top of her head, he asked, "You're ready to go?"

She looked up at him and nodded quickly. "I even have my homework finished for this weekend."

He smiled sweetly back at her, "Okay. Let me put on my shoes and we'll go. Come on in."

Usagi walked in and welcomed herself by jumping up on his bed and stting patiently. He took a seat next to her as he put his shoes on, barely jostling the bed with each of his movements. "So, what do you have planned for tonight?" she asked eagerly as he began to stand and she jumped up next to him.

"You'll just have to see," he replied with a sly grin on his face. "Let's go."

Walking hand in hand, Mamoru and Usagi walked out of their building and towards the bus stop to go into the city. Usagi danced on the curb as the couple waited for the bus. Mamoru took in the vision of Usagi. She truly was the image of pure joy. She was wearing a pink dress with ruffles at the hem and a tied bow in the back, perfectly accenting her chest and tiny waist. She held a cream cardigan in the crook of one arm, in case it cooled off in the evening, which swished back and forth as she continued skipping and swaying back and forth in her strange curbside dance. Even with very little make-up on, Usagi's blue eyes sparkled, catching the few remaining rays of sunlight. Her hair perfectly reflected the gold tones of the setting sun while her cheeks had just a hint of pink. _How did I get so lucky? _Mamoru wondered, smiling to himself. Usagi stopped her dancing and leaned forward, facing the oncoming traffic. She then excited turned to Mamoru and grabbed his hands. "Here's our bus!" She shouted, much too loudly and excitedly for a normal person, as she pulled Mamoru right up to where passengers were loading into the front doors of the bus.

Usagi didn't let go of Mamoru's hand as she found a pair of empty seats. She took the window seat without question, not that Mamoru minded. He knew that she got a kick out of looking out the bus windows, the city lights flashing by her. Usagi eventually settled down a bit and turned to Mamoru. She cocked her head and smiled slyly. "What that's look for?"

Mamoru sat up straighter, "What look?"

"The one you're giving me. It's like the look Nala gives Simba in that one scene of The Lion King."

Mamoru chuckled at Usagi's innocence. He then shrugged, "Just admiring the view."

"Of the city?"

"No…of you, Usako."

Usagi blushed at the tender nickname. "Mamo-chan…"

Mamoru leaned towards his girlfriend, both closing their eyes as their lips met. No sooner had they made contact, the bus driver slammed on the brakes, sending the couple sliding and crashing into the seats in front of them. They both sat back, apologizing to the older couple in front of them. Mamoru looked up and announced, "This is our stop anyway. Shall we?" he said, extending his hand to escort Usagi off of the bus.

She smiled, delighted as usual, "Of course."

Now it was Mamoru leading Usagi in a new direction. He talked to her as they walked the next block to the restaurant that he had made a reservation at. Carefully, Mamoru checked the time on his watch. _We'll be ten minutes early. Perfect. _

Finally, Mamoru stopped in front of a brick building with big, modern windows in the front of the restaurant. Usagi took a quick breath, "This is where we're eating?! But, Mamo-chan…"

"No buts, Usagi. I wanted to make tonight special."

Usagi blushed, "You really shouldn't have."

Mamoru smiled, "It's my pleasure to spoil you. Now, let's eat!"

The couple entered the restaurant. The host at podium gave the couple a once-over, a scowl forming on his face. "Reservation?" he asked curtly.

"Reservation for two at 7 o'clock under Chiba," Mamoru said, feeling a bit nervous about the host's attitude.

The host quickly flipped through his reservation book, then carefully scanned the page for that night. He sighed, "I don't see any Chiba reservation here, sir."

Mamoru blushed, his heart sinking. "I called last week…"

The host smiled as if he had been told a dirty joke, "You think you could make a reservation in one week? For this establishment? You must have been mistaken, sir. I'm afraid we will not be able to have a table available at seven, but we could probably get one for ten pm."

Mamoru quickly did some calculating and decided that the time it would take to eat, if they were even seated at ten, would not allow he and Usagi enough time to take the bus back to campus before services ended. Letting out a heavy sigh, Mamoru said, "Thanks, but no thanks. I suppose next time I'll try reserving sooner."

The host scoffed, "You may also want to be more established. This is not a dining hall."

The blood roared in Mamoru's ears. He turned to speak his mind to the waiter before Usagi grabbed his arm. "It's okay, Mamo-chan. I probably wouldn't like this anyway."

Usagi, using as much might as she could muster, finally got Mamoru out of the restaurant unscathed. "I'm sorry, Usako. I don't know what happened. I wanted to take you somewhere special."

"Anything is special as long as I'm with you, Mamo-chan. But, I am hungry."

Usagi took a quick survey of the surrounding area. "Look! There's a hot dog stand!"

Mamoru looked at Usagi, "Hot dogs? You want to celebrate tonight with hot dogs?"

Usagi nodded. "City hot dogs are great! Then we can get ice cream!"

Mamoru shrugged. _If you can't beat them, join them, _he thought to himself.

Despite the sour beginning to dinner, Mamoru and Usagi ended up having a better time than he could have imagined. The two laughed as the onions, relish, and other condiments kept sliding off each other's hot dogs. It was nice to finally see Mamoru loosen up a little bit, even if he was still wearing crisp, light khakis and a button-down. Usagi's heart fluttered as she took in her new lover's profile. _How did I start out not liking this guy? He's so cute! _

Mamoru caught Usagi's gaze. He laughed, "Is that the same look I was giving you?"

"What look?"

"The puppy dog, lovey-dovey eyes?"

Usagi blushed. "Maybe…"

Mamoru took her hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb. "Have I ever told you how much I'm glad that we met?"

Usagi thought, sitting back in the park bench seat. "I don't think so. At least not outright."

Mamoru sighed contentedly, also leaning back into the bench, taking his hand away from Usagi's and wrapping his arm around her waist. He then took his free hand to hold her hand again. "When my parents died, I thought I would be alone forever. I never really had any friends in the orphanage. In school, people always admired me, or so I was told, but I never felt very connected to them. I always thought that they just pitied me, and that's not what I wanted. I built up a lot of defenses trying to keep people out. No one seemed genuinely interested in me. The first person who seemed to like me for me was Motoki. We finally had a connection, a true friendship I hadn't found anywhere else."

Usagi looked at Mamoru, who had gazed into his lap as he stroked her hand with his thumb. He looked up to meet her eyes. He smirked shyly, "It certainly wasn't easy. And there is something different about being with a girl than a guy."

Mamoru shifted in the seat. "I think it's time to go. We don't want to miss the bus home."

Usagi nodded, certainly feeling tired, but sad that she couldn't hear more from Mamoru. _He still holds a lot in. Maybe with time he'll tell me more. _


End file.
